The German shepherd's chain-link collar had become embedded in her neck. “It looked liked she had chain-link piercings,” says Shriver, a nonprofit veterinarian based in Columbus, Ohio. Mini's owners were horrified—they had no idea because of the amount of hair on the dog.

They were able to remove the collar without any trauma to the patient.

“Not only did Mini receive preventative care—vaccinations, deworming, physical exam and flea prevention—but we were able to assist with this injury and educate the owners,” Shriver says. “Without RAVS, who knows how long it would have been until the collar was discovered?”